Chapter II, Teen Idol
by cyan thou
Summary: Minako painfully discovers that her desires for personal growth clash with the ambitions of her studio's executives, jeopardizing her status as a world-famous idol.


**- II -  
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**Teen Idol**

** S**he was out of breath but had no choice but to keep running for her life. Her muscles ached but she somehow still managed to rapidly make her way across the rooftops of the dizzyingly tall buildings of central London. Her long blonde hair waved wildly behind her as she sprinted and leapt from one building to another. Her identity was mystery. It had to be that way, for she was a diligent student by day and a heroic crime fighter by night. Well, at least she tried to be. No matter how hard she tried, it always seemed that she faced wrongdoers from whom she eventually needed saving. Today, yet again, she found herself overpowered and fleeing to save her life. At the very least, she had gotten quite good at running away.

The blonde girl suddenly realized that in her haste, she had worked herself into a dead end. Reassessing her possibilities a second time, she teetered over the edge of the building to look down. She really was trapped – the surrounding buildings were either too far away or too much of a drop to survive.

Exasperated and out of breath, she glanced back and realized that her enemy was right behind her. It was a fuzzy-haired gremlin with an unusually large belly, stout arms and legs, and buggy eyes that awkwardly peered in different directions. It was unclear how something so evidently unathletic and with meagre eyesight had managed to stay right behind her.

"You've eluded me long enough, but today you run out of luck, however! You can run no further! Today, I finally achieve my victory because no one is here to save you now!" it snarled almost comically as it waved its arms into the air with great exuberance.

The would-be heroine hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of what to say or do. Suddenly, the answer to her dilemma appeared against the sun's bright rays and she cried out "Kaitou Ace! You're here!" However, those words filled the air with only a half-hearted sense of glee. Although his salvific presence was usually a celebratory event, this time it was almost entirely unwelcome.

Undeterred by the blonde girl's ambivalent demeanor, the figure clad in a white tuxedo and matching masquerade glasses shouted back with heroic bravado. "You sure bet I am!" he cried, giving her an overly enthusiastic 'thumbs up.' He turned to the monster. "Leave her alone, you ugly toad!" Kaitou Ace warned as he showed off an array of elaborate karate punches and kicks that, although entertaining, were entirely impractical in a real fight.

"Where did you come from!" the gremlin cried out with surprise. "Shoo! Not again! Not today!" it continued as Kaitou Ace carried on with his display for several moments.

"Wherever there is a dame who needs rescuing, Kaitou Ace will appear!" he answered back without displaying any reasonable sense of logic or continuity. "Kaitou Ace here to save the day!" he shouted as he jumped down from the elevated platform onto the roof where the other two were standing.

"Three-two-one – evil demon, you now meet your doom!" Kaitou Ace engaged in some intricate hand gestures, spun around and struck a fancy pose that was more unintentionally comical than intimidating.

"Ooh, I'm scared!" taunted the ugly gremlin before it eventually charged toward Kaitou Ace with a clumsy gait and an awkward battle cry. Kaitou Ace reciprocated in similar fashion, but only a few steps into his dash, he tripped on a low-lying pipe and stumbled to the floor. His mask flew off as he hit the floor with a resonating 'thud.'

There was a cry and some noise from nearby, but the blonde girl did not hear it – she was concentrating intently and lost in her own mind. Not wanting to waste this rare opportunity, she focused on her attacker. _This is my only chance_, she thought. Immediately, she broke into a quick dash and delivered a drop kick to her foe, sending it reeling forward. As it tumbled, its bulky styrofoam cranium fell off, revealing the head of the sweaty, middle-aged man inside the foam suit.

"Cut! I said 'CUT,' for Pete's sake!"

The blonde girl looked over her shoulder and saw the chubby English director, red-faced with anger, get up off his chair and begin to storm his way toward the set.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Mina? I yelled 'cut' as soon as Kaitou Ace tripped! None of this is in the bloody script!" he slapped the screenplay with emphasis.

"Damn it, I'm sick of this, Ron! Every episode is the same thing over and over again. Why can't I just fend for myself for once?" she challenged the director without hiding her anger. Mina's body language reflected her resolve, refusing to show any sign of intimidation.

"Bollocks! Not this nonsense again," Ron mumbled while slowly placing his palm on his forehead.

"Seriously, why can't Sailor V defeat a villain on her own for once? Just once? Why does she need to be saved by a man every time?"

"Because that's not in the script!" he retorted in his thick English accent.

"So change it!" Mina was unsatisfied with his usual rebuttal. As far as she was concerned, his excuse only served as a means to absolve himself from any accountability in blatantly reproducing sexist stereotypes.

"Oh, blimey…" the director muttered in frustration. He turned to face the rest of the cast and crew. "Take ten, everyone." There was a collective moan and a few seconds passed before people eventually began to reluctantly drag themselves off the sound stage.

The director turned back to face Mina, "I'm bloody tired of having this argument with you, over and over again, lassie. An' look now, you see what you did there?" he pointed at Mina's cast mates. She peered around his pudgy figure and could see the man in the monster outfit groan as he placed a hand on his lower back and painfully climbed back onto his feet with the assistance of Kaitou Ace. "That's the result of your selfish attitude. Charles is in a world o' hurt and it's entirely your doing."

"'Selfish attitude'?" Mina echoed with distaste. "Oh, really? Excuse me if I want to set a better example for my female audience. Or is the 'dame in distress' role the best they should ever hope to accomplish? What kind of message is that?"

"I don't give a bloody damn about your flowery 'girl power' message, you little brat. This is what brings in the ratings, and so this is what we'll do. Nothing else. You either do what you're told or we cancel this silly series of yours. I'll dine with the Queen Mother before some self-important, teenage bugger gives the orders on my set!"

Mina contemplated the director's words. Indeed, she came across as pigheaded, but that was because her determined nature was now mixed with bitter frustration. Sure, she had become increasingly stubborn over the last few months and had developed a reputation for being a diva, however, her lack of willingness to cooperate was for an ideological reason. In shooting the fantastic adventures of Sailor V, it was ironic that mundane instances of discrimination were the biggest and most dangerous monsters.

Over the course of the series' run, Mina had matured and become increasingly idealistic. Although she had been entirely complacent in producing numerous seasons of _Sailor V _earlier in her career, she had suddenly become aware of her limited time in the spotlight. Mina was now in her late teens and she knew that she would shortly be replaced by yet another fabricated star on the teen idol assembly line. The rumour around the _Sailor V_ set was that her successor was carefully crafted by studio executives from focus group research in order to maximize mass media appeal and merchandise sales. If her career was to disappear into the faded sea of has-been child actors, she wanted to be remembered for something more than being a clumsy heroine who needed rescuing every weekday at four. In her eyes, she had little to lose and a world of difference to make for the young girls who watched her show.

"I won't do this," she said to the director. He was clearly infuriated but held back from vulgarly dismissing her from the set. Instead, Mina took off Sailor V's decorative glasses, tossed them aside and began to walk out from the film studio. She did not bother to look back, not even when her director eventually could not contain himself and began to curse vehemently. Cast and crew gazed at Mina with mixed feelings as she walked toward the door. Some admired her idealistic tenacity, others saw this as evidence that she was just yet another snooty child star who, accustomed to luxury and prestige, expected everyone to conform to their desires.

"You'll be hearing from the top brass soon, missy!" the director wanted to be sure to get in the last word as she pushed down on the bar to open the metal door in the back of the studio. For an irate Englishman, he was still perceptive. Mina's manager called her within two hours to notify her that she had been summoned by the executives for an immediate meeting.

If they were expecting Mina to give in, she was ready to surprise them. She walked into the head office at a brisk pace and with an unusually stern look on her face. She had not changed her mind and was unwilling to work on the series any longer before they implementing drastic rewrites. Against her agent's wishes, she marched into the board's top floor offices on her own. She did not lose her stride as she darted one executive after another in the narrow hallways, nor when the secretary objected to her entering the conference room without permission.

"Miss, you're not allowed in there," the secretary cried out from behind as Mina burst through the ornate wooden doors. "Miss! Miss!" she attempted to sound authoritative.

"That's quite alright, Sophie. We were expecting Ms. Aino anyway. Please close the door behind you," one of the board members waved the receptionist out of the room from the other end of the room. The door closed quietly and there was a brief moment of silence. Mina looked at the aging company CEO who was seated at the opposite side of the conference table, a myriad of papers amassed in front of him.

"Thank you for being prompt, Ms. Aino," he stood up. His accent was distinctively American.

"Skip the pleasantries. I'm only here because my manager says you've got a problem with my behaviour."

"Ron called us earlier to inform us about your uncooperative attitude. He's concerned."

"About what? Profit? 'Cause he sure isn't concerned about the message we're putting out every day."

"You've got it all wrong, Mina. Young girls today love the idea of being rescued from danger by a heroic saviour. Focus groups confirm that," he said without a hint of critical thought.

"So what? Why don't we use the show to tackle some serious issues? Is it too much to ask that the girl be the hero for once? Must the villain always be some silly looking monster? People can be just as cruel and menacing. Let's just change the show."

"Because that would be changing the premise of the show and that's not what sells. And let's face it, _Sailor V_ has been really slipping in terms of ratings. Seasons one and two were a hit along with the first two movies and the music tour. Seasons three and four showed some decline in viewership, but last season, now _that_ was a real dive. The few episodes that have already aired this season have seen the lowest ratings yet. Frankly, we're all surprised this '_tokusatsu_' series held audience appeal for as long as it did."

"Isn't that indicative of the problem? If we change the writing, make it more dynamic and less predictable, that will help get the series out of this rut. It's this stale and lazy writing that's gotten us to this point."

"No, Mina," the CEO stated solemnly. "We're pulling the plug on the show. We're also putting a stop to the production on the third _Sailor V_ movie and the musical tour, too."

Mina was stunned. "What?" She stammered in disbelief. "You mean, rather than change _Sailor V_ for the better, actually teach young girls that they can do things for themselves, you'd rather get rid of the show altogether?"

"Your continued lack of co-operation as of late doesn't sit well with the board – we don't care what your intended message is. We were expecting a return on our investment and we'd rather terminate the project than risk further decrease in revenue and market share."

"But–"

"We're also cancelling your contract with the studio immediately," he interrupted. "You won't be getting any further royalties from the merchandize sales."

"You can't do that! That's a breach of contract! I'll sue."

"No, you won't be doing that."

"I have every right to!"

"No, you won't. You see, your stunt double has already agreed to accept a large sum of cash – far more than she could ever hope to make by imitating you as Sailor V– to make a video doubling as you, engaging in very questionable sexual activities. As far as we will be concerned, we will have to let you go so as to not tarnish the studio's public image. Let's not forget our duty to our stockholders, too. Believe me, it will seem perfectly legitimate and therefore, within grounds to terminate your contract."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! After all the money I've made for you and your god damned company, you're blackmailing me with a fake sex tape?" Mina was indignant with his lack of integrity. "You won't get away with this!"

The CEO laughed heartily, unfazed by Mina's challenge to his authority. "You'll find that proving your case in court will be very hard. Let's not forget, money goes very far and my pockets are much deeper than yours."

"You're despicable! I was naïve to think that you would actually want to empower young girls. But, of course, why should you be interested in actually making a difference when all you care about is money? I'm through with making someone like you even richer."

"Oh, don't worry about me – we've already found the next sensation to replace you."

"You mean 'made.'"

"You think you're any different? You think you're here because of some innate talent? Please, you're a dime a dozen. The new girl's not much of a singer but it's nothing the guys at the mixing studio can't fix. Anyway, if I were you, I'd go home to start packing and making plans for an extended retreat somewhere far away. The video will be on the net tomorrow and believe me, your world will come crashing down."

"You're disgusting."

"That's everything now, then. It's been a pleasure, Mina," He pressed down on the buzzer, "Sophie, please come and escort Ms. Aino out of the conference room and out of the office." The CEO sat back down and picked up one of the papers on the oblong desk as if too consumed in work to mind Mina's presence. A few seconds later, the secretary timidly opened the door. Mina stood still, irate. She wanted to pounce on the CEO and wail on him until his face was bloody and unrecognizable for his arrogance and underhandedness. Instead, she looked back at the secretary who was standing still and unable to assert any control and escort her out.

"So this is how you like your women – sexy, but also quiet and obedient. No wonder I've become a thorn in your side. You'll hear from me again."

The CEO looked up as if he had suddenly become aware of her presence. "Don't make me call security."

Mina gave him one last glare before turning around to head out. She marched out, past the secretary who cowered up against the door as Mina walked by, and exited the building in a daze. Not long ago, there had been a huge promo poster for the first Sailor V movie, _Rise the Dark Agency_, encased behind glass in the front lobby. Sailor V's athletic pose was endearing but hardly heroic. The movie shoot seemed so distant now. She had truly outgrown the innocence of her earlier years as a childhood star and despite her noble ambitions, her reward for maturing was blackmail and an unforgiving 'goodbye.' It was unjust and she knew it, but there was little recourse at this point.

As promised, the sex tape was 'anonymously' uploaded to various video sites on the net the next day and it went viral. The tabloids and the TV news networks worked themselves up into a frenzied scandal and a constant barrage of paparazzi surrounded Mina's estate as well as obstructed her path anywhere she tried to go.

She pursued the matter in court but the CEO was right – his pockets were deeper. The hearings dragged on at length and it slowly became clear that his tentacles had a wide reach. Eventually, after months of charade, the court ruled in his company's favour. As the CEO shook hands with his high-priced attorneys, Mina was left in shambles. Although Sailor V, despite her shortcomings, had managed to punish wrongdoers, Mina could not translate those successes to the world, realizing that as Sailor V, she was also guilty of misrepresenting justice, too.

On this day, Minako Aino accepted that outside of the fantasy of fiction, justice was a farce. It was a meaningless concept awarded to the highest bidder or the most eloquent talker. Truth did not matter so long as you had money to buy justice or pay someone to get it for you. The legal system could never satiate her desire for retribution – it was a corrupt and broken system.

The scandal slowly faded away just as Mina did from the spotlight. The role offers had stopped coming in altogether and even her agent eventually dropped her. Within a few short months, Mina and her family, from whom she had been further alienated because of this incident, decided to move back to Japan since they could no longer maintain their extravagant lifestyle.

With an unsettled conscience, Mina left England to remove herself from the painful memories. However, the pain and sorrow she felt would follow her no matter where she went. As much as she detested and denied the very thought, Sailor V was now a part of her forever. The formative experiences in England, both good and bad, would define her outlook for the rest of her life.

**A/N**

**Feedback is GREATLY appreciated as I've been working hard on this fanfiction for ~10 years (-I know, crazy!). **

_What will happen to Mina now that she has lost her stardom and her reputation has been tarnished? Catch up with Mina several months down the road in Chapter V, "Boon," where Mina, now Sailor Venus after a chance encounter with a mysterious cat that endows her with incredible powers, is conflicted over a difficult moral decision she must make._**  
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**Caution: "Boon" is rated M and contains adult themes.**


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